Head Coach change at Under 17

Having overseen the Under 17 programme through 2017 and 2018, the Steelers can confirm that Head Coach Anthony Green is stepping down from his role prior to the 2019 season.

Stepping in to the position, Coach Green became a one-stop shop for all things Under 17, performing the General Manager (GM) role on top of his coaching duties for an extended period before the committee co-opted Sydney Green in to the GM position. Stepping down from the role, Coach Green will focus his efforts on a number of Club development projects moving forwards.

On stepping down, Coach Green said, “Due to a change in personal circumstances, I am no longer able to commit to the weekly responsibilities of a senior Coaching position, although I will still hope to very much be a part of the programme on and off the field”.

Chairman Rob Amor was full of praise for Coach Green, stating; “Anthony has been the bedrock of the Club for a long time now, and was instrumental in ensuring the viability of the Under 17 programme through 2018. It’s a loss for the programme, and the Club as a whole, but he’s put a tremendous amount of effort in to helping find his replacement, and will continue to support the Under 17 set-up in his role as Vice-Chair looking at projects to sustain and develop our younger programmes”.

Keen to source Coach Green’s replacement as swiftly as possible to give the programme a boost over the winter period, the Steelers are delighted to confirm the appointment of Ste Kilvington as Head Coach.

Following an injury sustained in the Adult programme’s NFC1 semi-finals, Coach Kilvington will be stepping away from playing in 2019 but was keen to remain involved with the club.

“What stood out with Coach Kilvington was his passion for developing the next generation of players at Under 17 level. His enthusiasm for providing a fun environment for the players to learn in was a huge factor in the decision to appoint him as the new Head Coach”, stated Rob.

“I am incredibly excited to be passing on the torch to Ste Kilvington to steer the team from 2019 onwards” remarked Anthony. “Having played and coached alongside him, I can say first hand he is a fantastic leader, fiercely passionate and will serve as a great role model for our Under 17 players moving forward.”

“I’d like to start by saying thank you to Anthony and the Under 17 team, who did an excellent job last year. My experience of working with the community (Ste is a Project Officer for Sandwell Council working on the Aquatics Centre in his ‘day job’) allows me to bring a tonne of knowledge and skills to the Under 17 coaching staff as its new Head Coach. This role is a very important role for the development of American Football in our community. This is a new challenge for me, and one that I am really looking forward to”. – Ste Kilvington, new Under 17 Head Coach

Working hard to put in place strong foundations for the upcoming season, we’ll shortly be announcing further appointments to the Under 17 coaching staff!

There are two remaining “come and try” sessions planned in 2018, to be held on Sunday 18 November and Sunday 9 December 2018. Click below for further information via the Facebook event, or click the image to sign up online!